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New York Giants running back Saquon Barkley will make his long-awaited return in 2021 and offensive coordinator Jason Garrett (and quarterback Daniel Jones) could not be happier about that.
The 24-year-old Barkley took the NFL by storm as a rookie in 2018, but back-to-back injury-plagued seasons have certainly put a damper on things.
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Still, expectations remain high for Barkley, who should return to health by the time Week 1 of the regular-season rolls around. And for that reason, he still made Pro Football Network’s list of the Top 100 Players of 2021.
75) Saquon Barkley, RB, New York Giants
Saquon Barkley might be the most physically gifted football player in the world. Nobody his size should be able to move as he can. The knee injury he sustained in Week 2 of the 2020 season affected his ranking going into 2021. I wouldn’t expect the fourth-year player to be down this far on the list heading into 2022.
Barkley wasn’t as big a part of the passing attack in 2019 as he was as a rookie, but offensive coordinator Jason Garrett loves using backs in the passing game. The young runner has insane big-play ability when in space. Using him as a pass catcher allows him a bit more freedom to use the vast creativity he possesses with the ball in his hands. If the Giants OL improves in 2021 and Barkley’s vision continues to progress, he could end up as a top-three running back in the league this season.
Although the Giants do not intend to rush Barkley back out onto the field, he is expected to play a significant role when that time does come.
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